Where do you look to find tours?
 

My wife and I live in Central Idaho and are becoming avid credit card tourers (in our 70s, so not crazy about sleeping on the ground). We have ridden most of the local rides and are now looking for new tours to ride. Tried the rails to trails website but not sure where to start looking for longer rides. Any ideas are welcome

Tried adventure cyclist? I just make my own tours, ride down the driveway. Start tour. Get a map, google map, topo map, ride with gps tracks, open street etc.

Mentally challenged person on a bike (CGOAB)

Difficult to answer as there are many touring variants.

1. Eurovelo has an extensive network of bike routes. Europe is a great place to tour because bike paths are very common (along rivers, and basically everywhere in Germany and the Netherlands). It is also densely populated such that you're never more than a few kilometers away from a decent place to eat/sleep/visit.

2. The ACA is the American equivalent. Several routes, albeit many will have you ride highway shoulders, and you have to contend with long distances without much in terms of services.

3. Lonely planet's "Epic Bike Rides of the World" is interesting to read. Several suggestions for US tours, from a few days to a few weeks. And many tantalizing suggestions on all continents.

4. National Geographic's "Destinations of a Lifetime" is not about bicycle touring, but nonetheless provides inspiration.

5. UNESCO'S "World Heritage Sites: A Complete Guide to 1,031 UNESCO World Heritage Sites" is also a good source of inspiration.

I fly to an airport, un box my bike and go look for interesting places and meet people.

last one, airport was in Dublin Ireland.

I Recommend Reading history books to know something about where you are going..

maybe the History will help you choose where you want to go?








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We are now slightly younger than you. Most of our tours are self directed. We camp & hotel. We have friends in our age bracket who CC self directed all over world. Our only organized tour was from Backroads. They did a great job.

I would suggest joining Adventure Cycling and get their magazine with the ads. For ideas, you may want to check out crazyguyonabike.com. people blog their trips there.

Depends on if you want to start and end where you live, near where you live, or dont care where you start and end.

Does it need to be paved or is crushed stone OK?
Do you need hotels/b&bs every night?


Answering these would substantially affect possible touring points/locations/rides.

I start by picking a general region I want to go, and then using whatever resources I can come up with to see what other cyclist tourists have done in the area. CGOAB is a good place to look through journals quick and get a good idea of how a certain area is for cycling and available amenities.

We would like to start in the Western States in the US. So CA, WA, OR, ID, MT, NV, anything that is drivable in a day or so. Last Spring we did a week riding around MOAB UT.

We ride a lot on Forest Roads so paved is not a necessity. Don't mind stretching a little to get to the next place to stay but not wanting to lug camping gear.

Are there any good websites out there?

I (and possibly others) am still unclear about what you are looking for? Are you willing to do unsupported trips, just without camping, or are you looking for organized, supported tours?


If the former is within your wheel house, I did this in June:


https://ridewithgps.com/routes/23235312


I camped nearly every night, but you could stay indoors if you wanted to.

That was an amazing trip! Congrats!

Not really looking for supported trips and would like to start with maybe 3-4 day rides as we become more adept at touring.

I would suggest you look at a commercial tour operator's website just to see where they are offering tours. If an outfit like Backroads is offering tours in a geographical area, it's likely to be a good region to tour on your own. Then, with the location ideas you find, it might be useful to search for tour narratives in https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ from folks who have toured on their own in those areas. You could start with crazy guy as some have suggested, but the site might be a bit overwhelming if you haven't narrowed down the possible locations somewhat.

Drive to SD and ride the Mickelson Trail from Deadwood to all the way to Edgemont. Might make sense to go to Hilly City, get a shuttle to Deadwood then a shuttle back from Edgemont to Hill City. Motels and restaurants in Deadwood, Hill City and Edgemont. But if you have already done a week in Moab why do you need shorter trips?

Edit: Forgot to mention that there are motel and food in Custer, on the trail between Hill City and Edgemont, but it would be a short day from Hill City.

Google is your friend. Use google maps/ street view to check out road conditions and places that might interest you.

If you're looking for organised tours, check the Cycletouring Clubs in your area or the area where you want to tour. They often have a collection of organised tours and they don't charge the earth for them.

If you're looking for some place to go on your own ... pick a spot on the map you'd like to see, and go there.

I plan my own tours, camp when I can.